Addy sat back, her thigh pressed against Elise’s as she took the plate of food Cate offered, not wanting anything to eat but not liking to be rude. Or perhaps she should have simply refused so there was more to go around.

“Adelaide, where were you last night and today?” Elise whispered, turning to her as they talked about the new resistance movement. “I’ve been worried sick.”

Addy rolled the mash around in her mouth, not wanting to tell Elise the truth but knowing she had to. “I didn’t think you’d approve, so I didn’t wake you. I went to meet him early this morning.”

“This morning or late last night?” Elise asked.

Adelaide raised a brow, staring straight back at her sister. “You were the only one tucked up in bed with a man all night, Elise.” Her sister’s cheeks flushed a deep pink, and Adelaide wished she could take back her words. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“There’s a big difference between Harry and Wolfgang, so please don’t compare them,” Elise snapped. “But you’re right, I was with Harry, and I should have been keeping an eye on you instead.”

Adelaide shook her head. “No, you shouldn’t. Because I’m capable of making decisions for myself.”

Elise seemed to chew her words over, silently reaching for her and putting an arm around her. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I was just worried. I promised myself I wasn’t going to be angry with you when you got home, but I wasn’t sure if you were coming back. I didn’t know what had happened to you and I started jumping to all sorts of conclusions.”

Adelaide grimaced, the weight of what she’d done hitting her as her sister spoke. “I’m so sorry, I should have left a note.” She’d been so fixated on seeing Wolfgang, she hadn’t thought for a second about how worried her sister might be.

“Addy, we have something for you when you’ve finished eating,” Cate said, interrupting them as she stood.

In the corner of the room, on the bedside table, was a cake, with a single candle placed in the center. Adelaide gasped, looking from Cate to Elise. She hadn’t had cake in almost a year!

“Who did this for me?” she asked, pushing up to her knees as Cate brought it over and put it in front of her.

“Your sister,” Cate said. “She’s been saving the ingredients for weeks, from what I can gather.”

“Oh, Elise, thank you so much.”

“Happy birthday, little sister,” Elise said, her smile appearing strained. “The eggs from your commander meant I could make Mama’s recipe, so I hope I’ve done her proud.”